The Nettie J. McKinnon Art Collection was gathered by students at Oak Avenue School in LaGrange, Illinois, between 1929 and 1960 under the guidance of their principal, Nettie McKinnon. Children participated in fundraising efforts and had an active role in selecting the artwork. The collection is comprised of more than 120 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, works on paper and decorative art objects, and is valued at several million dollars. The majority of the works are by American artists, among them Hudson River School painters such as John Frederick and George Aldrich and major American Impressionist painters such as Edward Henry Potthast, John Henry Twatchman and John Singer Sargent. Work by Frederick MacMonnies represents the finest of American sculptors, and works by international artists such as Russian-American artist Nicolai Fechin. Currently on display at Park Junior High School in LaGrange, the collection is integrated into school curriculum and tours are provided for children, parents and the community.

In 2003, the District 102 Board of Education signed a 25-year agreement with the newly formed SaltCreek American Art Foundation, which provides educational programs and exhibitions to increase the awareness of American art and its contributions to society. The foundation’s goal is to collect and preserve American art for this generation and the next. The SaltCreek American Art Foundation has made the collection viewable online at http://www.saltcreekart.org/njm_caa/view_the_collection/view.html

For the purposes of this assignment, we explored ways in which District 102 and SaltCreek American Art Foundation might develop a more streamlined, comprehensive, and user-friendly online representation of the Nettie J. McKinnon Art Collection. We have summarized the challenges that these and other similar institutions face when developing an online collection; we have researched platform options and visited existing online collections; and we have compiled a glossary and annotated bibliography on the subject of online collections, particularly in small public institutions.